Around the Game

IU linebacker Smith named to award list\nJunior linebacker Justin Smith has been named to the Butkus Award Watch List. \nThe Butkus Award is an annual honor given to top linebackers in college football.\nSmith is one of 70 players nationally to make the list. He started all 11 games at linebacker last fall and led Indiana in tackles with 89. Smith played the entire 1999 season with a broken wrist.\nThe watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists on October 19 with three finalists being announced November 9. The winner will be announced Friday, December 8 during the Butkus Award Gala. All three finalists along with their coaches are invited to attend the event.\nPenn State's LaVar Arrington, who is now with the Washington Redskins, was the 1999 winner of the Butkus Award.\nWomen's soccer team opens against Xavier at Bill Armstrong Stadium\nThe women's soccer team opens its season against Xavier at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. In last year's season opener, Xavier defeated the Hoosiers 2-1. IU was 6-0 in season openers before the loss. Xavier boasts a 3-2-0 record against IU.\nLast season, the Hoosiers finished with a 5-8-6 record, its first sub-.500 season since 1995.\n"This game against Xavier looks to be challenging because it is the first one of the year, and we are going to see how the players put it all together from the practices," coach Joe Kelley said in a press release.\nXavier went 13-8-0 and tied for second place in the Atlantic 10 conference with a record of 9-2 last season. The Musketeers advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Michigan.\nThe Musketeers return eight of 11 starters and 20 of 23 letterwinners from 1999, including leading scorer Anette Gruber (20 goals, 11 assists, 51 points).\nSeventeen of IU's 25 players are underclassmen, making the average age of a player about 19 years and seven months.